Airbags, when inflated, deploy extremely rapidly to protect the occupant. Several techniques have been developed to alter the rate of inflation and to control the impact forces generated by the airbag such as internal tethers, vents and tear seams. Most commonly, these devices reduce impact forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,832, “Airbag of Vehicle” by Kim, teaches the use of a plurality of external tethers being sewn to the cushion to suppress initial deployment. These tethers have been stitched along the cushion and break sequentially according to deployment pressure.
The present invention, as described below, uses a different form of device to control the deployment direction of an inflating airbag and as such creates a unique way to impart controlled directionality to an inflating airbag.